AAE Teachers Advisory Board

TRACEY BAILEY
Director of Education Policy

Tracey Bailey has recently joined the other distinguished educators on the AAE Advisory Board. Tracey was chosen from among 2.7 million elementary and secondary school teachers in the nation to be honored as the 1993 National Teacher of the Year. He received the traditional Crystal Apple at the White House ceremony presided over by President Clinton and Secretary of Education Richard Riley.

As a Florida high school science instructor, who had been teaching for only seven years, Tracey and his students won state-wide and national recognition for his highly regarded and innovative science programs. Many of his students were labeled as low-achieving or at-risk students. "I am thrilled that my classes reached more than just high ability students and helped all students become excited about learning!" says Tracey. "I am a firm believer that nearly every student will rise to the level of expectations placed on her or him, and my students continue to confirm this."

Innovation and the use of technology became the hallmark of his career. A crusader against "chalk talks," he developed hands-on projects where his students designed their own computer network systems, purchased DNA finger-printing equipment, and even built a greenhouse on the school's "back 40."

Tracey says that in the heart of every teenager is a void, a search for something worthy of commitment. His job is to help them find it!

Tracey worked for three years with Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Commissioner of Education, Frank Brogan, in the creation and implementation of Florida's new charter school law. He is still on leave from his teaching duties and is currently serving as the Director of Education Policy for the AAE.